David Prince, Vice-Chair of the Holly Springs MLK Jr. Committee, and Roy Tempke, Vice President, Clinical Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Rex Holly Springs Hospital, converse near the welcoming entrance of the new Sacred Space.
Holly Springs MLK Jr. Committee Names Sacred Space
T
The affinity that Furman Beckwith, Deborah Lockley Beckwith and David Prince have for Holly Springs runs deep. They were born and raised there and, after moving away to enjoy successful careers, returned to the area several years ago. The Beckwiths and Prince believe strongly in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given much is required.” Furman Beckwith is president of the Holly Springs Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, Inc., his wife is chairwoman of the program committee, and Prince is vice president. “We’re a diverse committee that meets monthly,” Prince said. “We’ve planned several projects and have multiple programs running right now.” Furman Beckwith added, “Our purpose is to ease the economic strife in Holly Springs, to benefit the Black community and everyone else and to honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by teaching peace and improving voting rights for Holly Springs citizens.”
8
The Holly Springs MLK Committee hosts several annual events, including a Unity Weekend in January complete with a breakfast, an MLK walk, a keynote speaker and several other activities. The Committee provides scholarships to graduating seniors at Holly Springs High School, hosts an annual Day at the Park in Womble Park, and for six years has sponsored an annual golf tournament at Devil’s Ridge Country Club in Holly Springs. This year, the Holly Springs MLK Committee is embarking on arguably its biggest project to date: naming the sacred space at Rex Holly Springs Hospital. “When we grew up in Holly Springs in the 60s, there was no doctor, no drugstore, no grocery stores or anything like that in the Black community,” Furman Beckwith said. “Our Committee was approached about having the sacred space within the hospital named for the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, and … we wanted to do whatever we could to support the hospital.
